May 18 2009
Completing a goal
Have you ever set a goal, worked really hard, but fell short of your expectations?
The women in our 2009 Training for More group experienced this first hand this year. On race day the end of April, the weather was hot and humid, to protect the participants the race director did not time the race, and everyone went slower than expected. We were ready for snow, but not temperatures in the high 80’s.
Fern and Patty (in the photo with me above) decided they wanted to bring closure to their goal of running a fast half-marathon this Spring. Patty found a half-marathon in Utica, NY, only a 3-hour drive. We rearranged our schedules, drove to Utica, and completed the goal. Everything fell into place: the weather was cool, the race was well-organized, the course was beautiful (and flat), and the volunteers were enthusiastic.
Fern and Patty smashed their goals and had an awesome race. They took a disappointing situation and turned it around, putting their goal of a fast Spring marathon behind them. We did it together, the same way we trained throughout the Winter.
Lessons learned:
- things don’t always work out the way we want
- there are always alternatives to consider
- disappointments can be overcome
- setting goals with friends makes the entire experience more fun
What goals are you working toward? How can you turn a disappointment into a victory?